Chemtech Organicsynthesis Web
Chemtech Organicsynthesis Web
Chemtech Organicsynthesis Web
ORGANIC
SYNTHESIS
FROM SMALL MOLECULES TO BIOCONJUGATES
OUR OFFER
Natural products and likes: Natural product analogues are synthesized with less Chemical tools, such as modified amino acid derivatives, peptides, fatty acids,
complicated or novel structures in order to produce biologically active compounds carbohybrates (e.g. (amino)cyclitols and iminosugars) and other natural products,
that exhibit activity profiles superior to that of the natural products they originate are developed via new synthetic strategies. These tools are applied in the study and
from. Through innovative synthetic methods and strategic target choice, we management of biological processes with the general aim to collect more knowledge
develop short synthetic schemes that allow a rapid assembly and straightforward on biological processes on a molecular level which can be developed to applications in
analoging for such compounds, aiming for highly modular intermediates, with efficient sustainable agriculture, aquaculture and life sciences.
synthetic efficiencies approaching those that are typically achieved with flat Crosslinking technologies: The development of new methods for crosslinking of
heterocyclic scaffolds. The development of new chemical synthesis methods allows biomacromolecules such as peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. Through the
access to targeted libraries of natural products and their analogues which can be use of a furan moiety with inducible reactivity a method was developed for the site-
used to gain more knowledge on the bioactive compounds present in extracts from selective introduction of covalent bonds between two binding partners.
various natural sources, their biological target and mechanism of action. Conjugate & linker technologies: The preparation of various derivatives or
Heterocyclic scaffolds: Chemical methodologies are being developed to synthesize analogues of biologically active and/or bio-derived molecules as a key step in
new and innovative heterocyclic scaffolds for applications in the agrochemical and biological research that uses small molecule tools. For this, direct derivatisation
medicinal industry. Asymmetric syntheses of functionalized amino acid derivatives reactions are very useful to rapidly generate diverse chemical metabolites for
are developed, as new building blocks for heterocyclic and carbocyclic scaffolds, SAR-analysis and for preparing conjugates as chemical probes. We develop for
incorporating biologically interesting moieties. Focus goes to rational synthesis of e.g. versatile antifolate (methotrexate or trimethoprim) reagents that allow swift
various types of new heterocyclic compounds associated with specific biological conjugation to small molecules. The resulting fusion compounds may be used for
activities to provide new SAR insights and to identify new leads for further target identification/profiling via three hybrid methods or as protein dimerizers.
development in medicinal chemistry. Labeling & probe technologies: Design and use of novel labeling chemistries for
Asymmetric (Bio)catalysis: Exploration and application of enzyme-mediated site-specific labeling techniques. Design of new (non-bleaching) fluorescent or
functional group transformations. other molecular probes.
Bioconjugated/modified Biomolecules: We develop new and modular Flow & Microreactor chemistry: Continuous flow methods in micro- and
synthetic derivatisation strategies, based on caged reactive groups, which can mesochannels is being developed for reactions that are difficult to scale up under
be activated on demand for further reaction with moieties containing groups batch conditions. The flow methodology is mostly preferable because of safety
with complementary reactivity. Methods are being developed for the synthesis of reasons,a good heat and mass transfer and constant product quality. A technology
labeled proteins and nucleic acids, chemically derivatised proteins, protein-drug platform has been created with 7 different types of commercially available
conjugates and various bioconjugates. microreactors.
OUR OFFER
BIOCONJUGATED
ASYMMETRIC
OR MODIFIED
(BIO)CATALYSIS
BIOMOLECULES
CONJUGATE
CROSSLINKING
& LINKER
TECHNOLOGIES
TECHNOLOGIES
CHEMICAL TOOLBOX
Organic SynthesisOur teams have expertise in synthesizing novel monomers and initiators
as well as in the chemical modification of available building blocks. We offer extensive organic
synthesis and characterization facilities.
Flow chemistry
microreactor technology
homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis in flow
gas-liquid and multiphase reactions
photochemical conversions in flow
tube in tube set-ups
PROF. CHRIS STEVENS PROF. JOHAN VAN DER EYCKEN PROF. SERGE VAN CALENBERGH PROF. MATTHIAS DHOOGHE
Synthesis, Bioresources and Bioorganic Laboratory for Organic and Bioorganic Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry Synthesis, Bioresources and Bioorganic
Chemistry (SynBioC) Synthesis Chemistry (SynBioC)
The Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry belongs to the Faculty on solid phase, e.g. the development of small peptidomimetics The Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group is
of Pharmaceutical Sciences. It mainly concentrates on the development composed of a central scaffold, which can be valorized against varying specialized in the design and synthesis of modified peptides and nucleic
of small molecule modulators of new (i.e., yet unexplored by approved biological targets by decoration with customized side chains. acids and methods for their conjugation and labeling.
drugs) targets. These modulators can be both enabling chemical tools The design and synthesis of novel chiral ligands for asymmetric More specifically, major research interests include:
to interrogate biology or therapeutically useful compounds. From a transition metal catalysis. T he construction of conformationally defined peptide architectures.
chemical point of view, much of our work is centered on the chemical The development of non-bleaching fluorizers equipped with a linker Scaffold decoration, cyclisation and peptide stapling are used to impose
synthesis of novel nucleoside and sphingolipid analogues. Our research for biological applications. a particular conformation and stability on the parent peptides. Method
interest also includes carbohydrate, phosphonate and bioconjugate The group has also expertise in the application of enzymes for development for synthesis of dipodal and tripodal peptides on solid
chemistry. Several of the running projects deal with the design of new asymmetric synthesis. phase. The synthesized compounds can find applications as peptide
lead structures for the treatment of infectious diseases with unmet vaccins, protein mimetics, DNA-binding ligands and artificial receptors
medical needs (malaria, TB, MRSA) and immune diseases. The main focus of the Organic Synthesis Research Group or synthetic antibodies. More specifically, the use of cholic acid based
(Faculty of Science) is the chemical synthesis and derivatisation of target steroid derivatives has been explored for the conformational restriction
The Laboratory for Synthesis, Bioresources and Bioorganic compounds with non-trivial carbon connectivities, such as those found in and metabolic stabilization of appended peptide chains.
Chemistry (SynBioC) belongs to the Faculty of Bioscience Engi- polycyclic Natural Products. T he development of new methods for crosslinking of biomacromol-
neering. The SynBioC group focuses on diverse aspects of organic and The chemical synthesis part mainly involves the development of novel ecules such as peptides, proteins and oligonucleotides. E.g. a very
bioorganic chemistry and has a broad range of collaborations with labo- strategies and methods to assemble complex scaffolds, focusing on mul- efficient furan-oxidation based crosslinking method has been devel-
ratories that are extensively testing the synthesized molecules. Innovative tiple bond forming steps such as cycloadditions and cascade reactions. oped for the site-selective labeling or introduction of covalent bonds
scaffolds and natural product analogues are screened in different activity For the chemical derivatisation part, the group focuses on the devel- between two binding partners.
domains (depending on the types of compounds). Compounds are being opment of application-oriented versatile covalent ligation reactions to T he design of novel reactive peptide and oligonucleotide based
tested in oncology, analgesic, parasitic, fungicidal and bactericidal appli- generate multiple derivatives from a single synthetic intermediate. probes, including peptide nucleic acids, for applications in antisense
cations. In this research also SAR studies and SAR modelling is performed As a major theme in the recent research, that encompasses both of and antigene strategies, protein and miRNA target identification and
in order to increase the success in the development of biologically active the above general research topics, the group has started to design receptor pulldown.
structures. and target highly modular synthetic building blocks that allow a rapid
exploration of Natural Product-like chemical space using simple and
The expertise of the Laboratory for Organic and Bioorganic orthogonal functional group transformations. Our UGent Organic Synthesis expert team is member of
Synthesis (Faculty of Science) is situated in the following fields: The concepts of versatile ligation reactions and modular building blocks the CBI cluster. This initiative has been coined with the
The total synthesis of complex natural products with biological activity. in organic synthesis are also explored and applied in various collabora- name of Chemistry to Foster Biology Innovation (CBI) and
The research group is developing flexible synthetic routes allowing to tive research projects going from macromolecular and materials science is a Flemish chemical biology cluster linking the academic
obtain natural products as well as modified analogues such as other to chemical biology. chemistry research with the biology community.
stereoisomers or analogues with a simplified structure.
The design and synthesis of novel privileged scaffolds in solution and www.CBIcluster.be
CONTACT INFORMATION
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ChemTech deals with chemistry and pharma and biotech companies that are looking for
chemical expertise, chemical compounds and chemical tools. Discovere is active in biomedical
and pharmaceutical research to promote early academic drug discovery.